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Volvo celebrates vehicular endurance with new Volvo Heritage Club

November 1, 2012

Irv Gordon's 1966 Volvo P1800 looks sharp, even with 3,000,000 miles on the odometer. Photo by Volvo

New Yorker Irv Gordon has racked up nearly 3 million miles in his red 1966 Volvo P1800. Although his mileage tally is a bit of an outlier, there's no denying that many products of the Swedish automaker are still alive and kicking, rusty or not, with a solid six figures or more on the odometer.

Part of this durability is undoubtedly owed to the car's wide fan base. In a “classic vs. modern” column, Rob Sass compared the boxy but endearing Volvo 240 to the quirky Nissan Cube—and the Volvo won. Readers' comments reaffirmed his selection.

Volvo has cultivated this automotive affection, forming a High Mileage Club in the 1960s complete medallions awarded to drivers whose cars passed certain mileage benchmarks.

The automaker is reinventing that organization with its new “Volvo Heritage Club,” which launched Nov. 1. According to Volvo, membership is open to:

-- An owner who has had one or more Volvos for at least 10 consecutive years

-- An owner whose Volvo has more than 100,000 original miles

-- Any owner who was a member of the former Volvo High Mileage Club

Given the company's reputation for reliable vehicles, and legions of preservation-minded Volvo owners, the Heritage Club doesn't sound particularly exclusive—and we're sure Volvo is all right with that.

And yes, the medallions are still part of the Heritage Club. Members can earn them for hitting specific mileage numbers, and also for owning a car for 10, 15, 20 and 25 consecutive years.

Got a high-mileage Volvo or know someone who does? Head to the Volvo Web site to submit your application to the Volvo Heritage Club today.

Graham Kozak
- Graham Kozak drove a 1951 Packard 200 sedan in high school because he wanted something that would be easy to find in a parking lot. He thinks all the things they're doing with fuel injection and seatbelts these days are pretty nifty too.
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